


Alphabet Blocks

by Kienova



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Future Fic, Kid Fic, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-03-14 20:02:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 20,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13597332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kienova/pseuds/Kienova
Summary: Collection of drabbles from Tumblr prompts, in no particular order, featuring FitzSimmons pregnancy and baby fluff.





	1. Growing Pains

“Your wife is crying in the lab,” was the only greeting he got from Hunter, the other man wandering into the kitchen while rubbing his temples. “I asked her what was wrong and she snapped at me.” Fitz felt his chest constrict at the thought of Jemma being upset.

“Has anything happened?” he questioned, immediately putting his cup down and heading for the door, barely waiting for a response.

“Not that I know mate,” Hunter called, going to the fridge as Fitz hastily moved down the hall and towards the lab. Ducking into the room, he found Jemma at her desk, tears sliding down her face and breath coming in slight hiccups all while she continued to work, squirming slightly every now and again.

“Jems? What’s wrong Love?” he asked, crossing the last few feet until he was standing next to her, his hand dropping to her shoulder. Jemma’s breath hitched before her eyes fluttered up to his face.

“Nothing, I’m fine, I’m sorry,” she rushed, “just hormones.” Fitz frowned at her, cupping her cheek with one hand while trying to brush some of her tears away with his thumb.

“Jemma. What’s going on?” he pressed, noticing how her lip quivered before a sob broke free. Panicked, her drew her into his chest, holding her to him as she cried.

“Everything is just so sore. And I can’t get comfortable. And I still have so much I need to do,” she nearly wailed, arms banding around his back as she buried her face in his shirt, soaking the material within seconds.  He let out a the breath he didn’t realise he had been holding at her confession, one hand remaining around her shoulders while the other moved down her back, feeling the swell of her stomach against his thighs as she spread her legs, drawing him between them to keep him close.

“Where does it hurt?” he queried when she pulled away after a minute or two, trying to rub at her nose with her sleeve in a way that was so innocent that it made his heart seize.

“Mostly my back and my hips. I know its because my pelvis is tilting and I would much prefer this aching to spending another three months throwing up constantly but… I can’t sleep because my legs hurt and then sitting hurts and standing is a nightmare and I just… how am I supposed to keep doing this for another four months?” The words rushed out of her like an avalanche, tumbling over one another as she struggled to avoid crying again.

“Come to bed,” he breathed. Jemma glared at him.

“Fitz, I am in no mood -” she started, pouting when he laughed.

“Jem, I promise you, I’m not after sex right now. But this chair isn’t helping you any. Come lie down. Let me see if I can help.” She hesitated for a moment before letting him help her up, making sure she had her balance before she followed him down to their bunk. She was hesitant when he told her to take her shirt off and lie on her side but she complied after a moment, nearly moaning when his hands went to her hips, rubbing gently before he moved to the small of her back, pressing deep circles into her skin.

“Oh God,” she moaned, the sound nearly obscene in the quiet of their bedroom, causing Fitz to chuckle.

“Never heard that exact noise before,” he teased, dropping a kiss on her bare shoulder while pressing into a particularly sensitive spot on her back. She whimpered, turning to glance up at him.

“Please, don’t stop,” she said, tears budding on her lashes. “This… this is the first time it’s felt better in days.”

“I won’t,” he assured her, keeping his hands moving. He spent nearly an hour releasing as much tension from her back and hips as he could, watching as she slowly sank deeper and deeper into the mattress. He only paused once, to tug a pillow off of his side of the bed and tuck it under her growing belly, resting his hand there for a moment when he felt a tiny flutter of movement from beneath her skin.

Finally, unable to keep his hands from cramping, he moved back, leaning over his wife to see her eyes closed, her breathing even as she slept. It was the first time in weeks that she looked peaceful while asleep.

“Go easy on Mummy, okay?” he said, breath fanning out against her stomach as he whispered to the baby, letting his fingers press into her skin. He felt a resounding kick against him, bringing a smile to his face as he curled up around Jemma’s back. She was always telling him he was like a furnace - maybe his body heat could keep her muscles loose for at least another few hours while she rested.  


	2. Peek-a-boo

Jemma was exhausted, her head pounding as she finally trudged up the front walk. She had been hesitant of consulting on a mission for a million reasons, the least of all being the fact that it meant her husband would be home alone with the baby all day, but it still pricked at the back of her mind regardless. Flipping the lock, she opened the door quietly, not wanting to cause a disruption if the baby was asleep - even though she knew it was unlikely as the child had inherited her father’s ability to sleep through almost everything, unless she was hungry. 

“Fitz?” Jemma called, worry bubbling in her stomach when he didn’t immediately answer. She didn’t even bother to kick off her shoes, her bag thumping on the ground as she moved into the house. When she went to round the corner into the living room, however, she stopped, handing coming up to cover her mouth at the relieved sigh that wanted to consume her when she saw both Fitz and the baby sitting on the floor. 

“Uh-oh, where did Ellie go?” Fitz said, feigning confusion as the baby hid behind a blanket, giggling softly. “Where is she?” At that, Ellie dropped the blanket, grinning up at her father. “Peek-a-boo!” he laughed, reaching forward to tickle her. Ellie squealed, flopping back against the carpet as Fitz proceeded to lean over and blow a raspberry on her belly. He had her in his hands a moment later, rolling onto his back and holding her above him, letting her try and grab for his face with tiny fists. 

“Ba-ba-ba,” Ellie babbled, making a little roaring noise as Fitz let her flop down onto his chest. She mouthed at his shirt, pretending to bite him but doing no harm with her four new teeth, simply spreading slobber onto her father’s shirt. 

“Hey!” he chuckled, pulling her away just to smile at her. “Daddy isn’t dinner Love,” he scolded gently, sitting up and plopping her back on the carpet. She immediately grabbed for the discarded blanket again, pulling it up until it was half over her body. “Oh no, Ellie is gone again!” he exclaimed, glancing back as he noticed Jemma leaning against the wall, affection written all over her face. “Jems, Ellie has disappeared, where did she go?!” he asked in mock horror. Jemma bit her lip, shaking her head as she crossed the floor, dropping to her knees next to him and pulling him into a rough kiss. 

“If you lost Eleanore the first time I’ve left you alone all day,” she teased against his mouth, stroking a hand through his hair as she pulled back, feeling her headache dissipate as the last of her tension finally slipped away. 

“Mama!” The word boomed around the room despite the small voice that emitted it, causing both adults to turn to their daughter with wide eyes. 

“Did she just -”

“Oh my God -”

“Mama!” Ellie giggled again, dropping the blanket and lifting her arms up. Jemma burst into tears, grabbing the child and pulling her in tight as Fitz wrapped himself around them. 

“That’s right love, I’m Mama,” Jemma sobbed, peppering kisses over her daughter’s head as Fitz’s watery laugh caught in her hair. “You said your first word Ellie. You beautiful, sweet little thing.” 

“Knew she’d say your name first,” Fitz whispered, holding both of them tight. Jemma just rolled her eyes, twisting her head to kiss him. Neither noticed Ellie’s exasperated expression as she tried to grab the blanket again, wanting to continue playing. 


	3. Braxton-Hicks

“Jemma, do you think -” Fitz started, wringing his hands nervously as he watched her pace around the room, one hand on the small of her back. 

“No,” she retorted. 

“Jem, I know I don’t know your body like you do, but this -”

“It is just a Braxton Hicks!” she yelled, a groan tearing out of her a second later as she grabbed at the back of the chair at the vanity, her knuckles turning white as she clenched against the metal. Fitz was on his feet in a second, his hand pressing into the small of her back as he rubbed circles against her spine. Jemma whimpered, head dropping down to her chest as she tried to breathe. 

“That’s it, deep breaths,” Fitz encouraged, continuously glancing from his watch to his wife, noticing how she tried to rock her hips slightly, eyes closed against the sensation in her abdomen. A few breaths later she relaxed, shoulders sagging as she allowed herself to be tugged towards the bed, Fitz’s hands supporting her hips as she sat down. “Okay?” he asked. 

“Sorry,” Jemma muttered, a flush on her cheeks. “I don’t mean to be cross with you. I just… I’ve been feeling sore for weeks and just have felt off all day. But the baby isn’t due for another few weeks. I’m sick of these damn practice contractions. You’d think they would only happen before one went into labour, not for months on end beforehand.” Fitz kissed the crown of her head, stroking her hair. 

“I know. I’m sorry,” he sighed. He had seen her becoming more and more exasperated each time one of the pains would cascade through her body over the last few weeks, especially when she was trying to work or get something done in the nursery. “Do you want me to run you a bath?” Jemma snorted. 

“Are you going to pick me up out of the tub when I can’t stand up on my own?” she questioned. Fitz smiled softly at her, pecking her on the lips. 

“Always,” he assured her. “So, bath?” 

“God, yes, please,” she answered. With one quick squeeze to her hand he walked into the master bathroom, turning the taps on before putting the stopper in the tub, opening the cabinet to get some towels. 

“Do you want some bubbles?” he called, grabbing the candle Jemma had tossed in the cabinet ages before, sniffing it experimentally and wondering where he had left the matches. When she didn’t answer him, he started to worry, a frown creasing his forehead as he put the candle and towels on the counter, hastening back into their bedroom. “Jem-” 

She was standing next to the bed, a look of shock on her face. 

“Fitz… I… it wasn’t a Braxton Hicks,” she said, blinking rapidly, her gaze moving from his face to where the carpet beneath her was dampened. “My water just broke.” 


	4. Sibling Rivalry

“Mummy?” Ellie asked, trying to climb up on the bed. 

“Careful Love,” Jemma admonished, watching sleepily as Fitz came up behind their daughter, lifting her onto the mattress. 

“You need to be careful, Mummy doesn’t feel very well right now, she’s sore like when you fell at the park, remember?” Fitz said, sitting on the edge of the bed as he watched the little girl try and crawl over to her mother’s side. “And you have to remember to be very, very gentle with Aiden, he’s still very tiny.” Ellie looked up at her father before moving her gaze to where Jemma was cradling the newborn close to her breasts. 

“Mummy, cuddles,” Ellie said. 

“Careful Ellie, Mummy can’t cuddle too much right now,” Jemma said, trying to hide her wince as she moved slightly. Ellie pouted. 

“But baby is cuddled,” she groused, crossing her little arms over her chest as she glared at her baby brother. Jemma looked at Fitz imploringly, exhaustion painted on every inch of her. 

“Fitz, can you take him?” she asked, eyelids fluttering. He was up and around the bed immediately, tucking his arms beneath hers until he could take Aiden carefully. 

“You alright Love?” he pressed, holding Aiden with one arm while reaching down to cup Jemma’s face with the other. She nodded, sighing loudly. 

“He was just a bit more stubborn than Ellie,” Jemma replied. “I think I just need a nap.” Fitz nodded, leaning down to kiss her forehead. 

“Come on Ellie, let’s let Mummy have a sleep,” Fitz said, using his free hand to help Ellie off the mattress. As he led her out of the room, Ellie let out a disgruntled sigh. 

“I want to cuddle Mummy,” she muttered, tugging her hand out of her father’s grasp as she went into her bedroom, Fitz following behind her. He watched his daughter dejectedly go and gather her favourite teddy, poking at it before she flopped onto the ground.

“Do you want to come cuddle with Daddy while Mummy takes a nap? We could go downstairs and cuddle on the couch?” he asked. 

“Aiden stay here?” Ellie asked hopefully, looking over at him. Fitz shook his head. 

“No Ellie, Aiden will come too. He needs cuddles as well.” 

“No,” she growled, glowering at the floor immediately after the word left her. “Why baby get cuddles?” The realisation that she was jealous hit Fitz like a slap across the face. In all the discussions that he and Jemma had with Ellie about how she was going to be a big sister, they had never taken the time to tell her that she was going to need to share their attention. He sighed, wandering across the carpet until he could sit down next to her, Aiden fussing slightly before quickly drifting back into a deep sleep. 

“Ellie. Remember how Mummy and I said you would have lots of jobs when you became a big sister?” he asked, reaching out to stroke her dark curls. Ellie thought for a moment before nodding, still pouting as she pulled her teddy closer to her chest. “One of those jobs is, unfortunately, that you have to share. And not just your toys, Love, but Mummy and Daddy too. Mummy and I love you, so, so much. But Aiden can’t do anything on his own yet, so Mummy and Daddy are going to have to do things for him, okay?” Ellie nodded, her blue eyes filling with tears. 

“B-but who gonna tie my shoes? I du-no how,” she blubbered, her body heaving as she started crying. Fitz felt his chest clench hard at the words, shuffling Aiden to one side as he carefully pulled his daughter into his lap, hugging her. 

“Daddy is still going to tie your shoes Sweetheart, I promise,” he said, feeling his own eyes watering as he pressed a kiss to her hair. “I will always be here for you. And so will Mummy. We both need to learn how to help you  _ and  _ Aiden, okay?” Ellie kept crying but he felt her nod into his neck. He knew Jemma was exhausted and sore, her labour with Aiden having been quite a bit longer than it had with Ellie, their son also weighing nearly a pound more than their daughter, but he also knew that his daughter needed her mum. Carefully, he got to his feet, carrying both children from Ellie’s room back into the master. 

“Fitz?” Jemma asked sleepily, cracking her eyes open when she felt the mattress dip. 

“Someone needs her Mummy for a minute,” he said, trying to convey everything to her. She looked confused but didn’t protest. “Don’t push on Mummy’s belly,” he instructed, letting go of Ellie as the little girl all but scrambled into her mother’s side, resting her head on Jemma’s shoulder. “She’s feeling a little neglected,” Fitz explained, motioning from Ellie to Aiden. 

“Ellie, you know Daddy and I both love you very much, right?” Jemma questioned, wrapping an arm around Ellie and holding the toddler to her side. Ellie nodded, her sniffling slowing along with her breathing as Jemma stroked her back. 

“I don’t like sharing,” Ellie mumbled, causing both adults to struggle not to laugh. 

“I know Darling,” Jemma said. 


	5. Cravings

“Fitz,” Jemma whispered, rolling on her side to nudge at her husband. He groaned, squirming slightly in his sleep before settling back down. Jemma huffed, leaning up on her elbow and looking down at him in the dim light of the bedroom. The TV was still on, volume lowered to barely above a vague hum, the glow allowing her tired eyes to see his chest rising and falling. 

She vaguely wondered how long he’d been awake after she’d fallen asleep, noticing the clock on the bedside table read 2:07AM. They’d started watching a movie at nine, Fitz easily being persuaded to cuddling up with her in bed instead of on the sofa when he had seen how tired she looked. Thinking back on it, she could barely remember anything after the first set of commercials. The fact that the volume was lowered showed he hadn’t wanted to disturb her, even though he stayed awake at least a while longer. To add to it, she knew Fitz had been working nearly twelve hours at the base that day, not wanting to make the consultation he consented to any longer than it needed to be, and particularly not something that would last more than a day or two at most. She hated waking him, knowing he needed to sleep too, but she couldn’t fathom the thought of simply leaving a note and going out at such an hour. He would lose his mind with worry if he woke up and found her gone. 

“Fitz,” she tried again, poking him in the shoulder as he grunted, blue eyes fluttering open a second later. It took him a moment to focus on her face before he sat bolt upright. 

“Jem? What’s wrong? Are you alright?” he rushed, voice still thick with sleep as he reached out to cup her cheek in his palm, searching her features in the darkness, looking for a clue as to why she was waking him. 

“I really want a pita,” she said in response. He opened his mouth, hesitated, closed it again, and then cocked his head to the side. 

“What?” 

“I… I know its stupid but I really want a pita,” she muttered, feeling her cheeks heat at the admission. Fitz let out a sigh, leaning down to kiss her forehead before throwing his feet over the side of the bed and standing up, his back cracking lightly as he stretched. 

“Okay,” he said, rubbing his eyes as he grabbed a discarded hoodie from the chair in the corner of the room. “What do you want on it?” She sat up, leaning back against the headboard as he hunted around for a pair of trainers. 

“You’re just going to get it for me? What, no complaints?” she teased. He looked over his shoulder at her with a soft expression. 

“Jem, you’ve barely been able to keep anything down these last few months. If you’re hungry for something, anything, of course I’m going to get it for you. It means you’re probably actually going to be able to eat it,” he responded. “Now, what do you want on this pita?” Her heart melted at his response, her eyes filling with tears. 

“Cheddar cheese, olives, and caesar dressing,” she said. Fitz blinked at her, scrunching up his nose. He knew that the smell and taste of any meat had been something she couldn’t handle since she had gotten pregnant, but the reality that she wanted such an odd combination of things in a wrap turned his own stomach. 

“Okay,” he said. “Be back as soon as I can.” 

“Love you!” Jemma called. He returned the sentiment easily, his footsteps already plodding down the stairs. She smiled, curling back up as she grabbed the remote, flipping through infomercials. She was dozing again when Fitz came back, snow in his hair as he passed her the bag from the all night shop that was a ten minute drive from their house. Grinning sleepily, she unwrapped it, consuming the meal with a gusto he hadn’t seen from her in weeks. 

“I’m glad you’re enjoying that. Kid at the shop was very confused as to why I was ordering it,” he told her, chucking the hoodie onto the floor before crawling back under the duvet. Jemma hummed in reply, a noise of contentment escaping her as she finished the pita, tossing the empty wrapper on the nightstand. 

“Thank you,” she said, leaning over to kiss him. Fitz pressed his hand against her shoulder before she managed it however. 

“Jems, I love you more than anything, and I am so very glad that you were actually hungry enough to want something to eat. I know your morning sickness has been taking a horrible toll on you. But… I think I might be the one lying on the floor in the bathroom if I taste olives, cheddar and caesar at two thirty in the morning.” She giggled at his admission, rolling away from him. 

“Fine, no goodnight kisses,” she muttered in fake exasperation, feeling him curl behind her and press a kiss to the back of her neck, his hand coming to rest on the tiny bump of her stomach. She laced her fingers with his almost immediately, leaning back against his chest. She was back asleep less than five minutes later. 


	6. Separated

Daisy watched Fitz pacing around the cell they had been thrown into, his hands constantly moving as he clenched them against the hem of his jacket before running them through his hair and over his neck. 

“Fitz,” she started, irritation lacing her voice. She had seen him in various states of aggravation and stress before, particularly when Jemma had been taken through the monolith, but this was something else.  “Calm down.” He glared at her for a moment before resuming his trek across the room, eyes jolting from one thing to the next as he tried to figure out a way for them to get out. 

“There has to be something I’m missing,” he grumbled, running his hands along the doorframe as Daisy went about clicking away on her phone, already activating a hack within the system to kill the power to the door. Fitz was cursing loudly when the lights went off, the door letting out a tiny hiss as it opened. 

“Come on,” Daisy said, rolling her eyes as she grabbed him by the shoulder, tugging him into the hall. 

“We have to find Jemma,” he rushed, flashlight clicked on as he surged ahead of her a second later. Daisy grit her teeth. She was used to the scientists being nauseatingly codependent after nearly six years of knowing them, but this was something else. 

“I’m sure she’s fine. Probably as pissed off as we are at being dragged around by a bunch of goons,” she muttered, keeping pace with him as they rounded a corner, Fitz wrenching the closest door open and peering inside, a growl rumbling in his throat. When he turned back around, she could see fear painted on his face, his hand trembling as he held the flashlight up, searching the empty hallway with them beam of light. There was a scream from the other end of the corridor followed by a grunt and a series of thumps, the two agents exchanging a glance before moving hastily towards the commotion. May was leaning against the wall, three unconscious guards around her and a gash slowly leaking blood down her forehead. 

“Daisy -” May started, only to have Fitz cut her off. 

“Where’s Jemma?” he demanded. May looked at him for only a second before answering. 

“They took her that way.” He went to run, only to have the older agent grab him by the arm, keeping him in place. “Wait thirty seconds for us to come up with a plan before you go racing into danger.” She gritted out, swiping the blood off her skin with a glare. Fitz frowned. 

“You don’t understand, we can’t leave her with them,” he insisted, nearly frantic. 

“Fitz, she’s been undercover at Hydra, survived on an alien planet. I’m sure she’ll be fine for one minute with some low level idiots,” Daisy said, attempting to placate him. Fitz shook his head, nearly frantic. 

“No. Its - I - she, this is different,” he stammered, fist clenching again. “I can’t risk her getting hurt.” 

“Fitz -” 

“She’s pregnant.” Both women blinked at him as the words rushed into the dimly lit hallway. “Please. We need to get to her before someone hurts her or the baby,” he was nearly begging by the end, grabbing Daisy’s hand to urge her to listen. Daisy felt her chest tighten at the desperation in his voice, his wedding band pressing into her knuckles. May and Daisy exchanged a wordless glance before both of them were rushing down the corridor, Fitz at their heels. 

When they found Jemma she was cowering in the corner of an empty room, having been thrown in and the door locked before their captors had left her to investigate the power outage. Her arms were curled protectively around her middle, the only sign anyone had even touched her a bruise that was already blooming on her temple and down her cheek. Fitz couldn’t help the sob that ripped out of him as he dropped to the ground, pulling her into his chest as he pressed kisses to her injured skin. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I should never have left your side. Are you alright?” he rushed, hand trailing over her body to check for injuries before pressing against her belly. 

“We’re fine,” she replied, forehead dropping to his chest as a breath shuddered out of her. “I think we should quit,” she whispered, her eyes coming up to meet his as the confession left her lips. 

“As soon as we get out of here. Anything Jem. We can move to Perthshire tomorrow.  I just need the two of you safe.”


	7. The Lighthouse

The first few days, she thought it was simply the stress of everything that had happened. The Framework. The new monolith. Having her hearing taken away. But by the end of a week, her vision still spotty around the edges with every passing second, she realised it was something other. She was glad it happened at night, or the prescribed night that was determined on the Lighthouse. The room she had was little more than a cell, a simple bed and a small bowl for washing her face, but she was grateful for the privacy. The nausea rising so strongly in her that she spent at least twenty minutes gagging before she would throw up. She was glad of the silence then, if only for the fact she had always hated the noises associated with vomiting. 

When Kasius demanded all the servants be present for the exhibition of Inhumans, she had prayed that it would end before her body would betray her as it always did. Seeing Fitz nearly sent her reeling, her head spinning as Kasius finally turned off the inhibitor, her hearing coming back with a rough grinding in her head. Fitz looked her up and down, head tilted to the side, his expression unreadable. Her skull ached, each sound still too loud as her body tried to process how to adjust to the change in volume. All she wanted to do was throw herself into Fitz’s arms and sob, but she kept herself still, heart pounding. 

It wasn’t until they had gotten engaged, fled the arena, and escaped to the surface, hiding out in the zephyr, that her body decided to return to its normal nightly routine. 

“Jemma, what if we -” Fitz started, turning from the control panel that was open in front of him just as the colour drained from Jemma’s face, her arm wrapping around her middle as she bent over, throwing up on the floor. Fitz’s eyes went wide as he moved over to her side, panic scrawled across his features as he stroked her back. “Jem, are you alright?” he asked softly when the gagging stopped, taking the majority of her weight as she leaned back against him. He slowly moved them to a crate, sitting her down on the edge as he crouched in front of her, pushing damp hair off her face. 

“Promise me we’re going to get home,” she said, eyes brimming with tears. She cursed her hormones, suddenly no longer under control as she grabbed his hand in hers. 

“Jem -”

“Promise me, please,” she begged. He kissed her knuckles, scanning her face. 

“I promise,” he assured her. “I will do everything I can to get us home.” 

“I can’t have this baby here Fitz,” she hiccuped, unable to stop the tears sliding down her face. Fitz’s breath caught in his throat, his gaze focused on her. “I want them to see the sun and be able to climb a tree and see a monkey.” The words were interspersed with sobs, her torso heaving with the effort as Fitz quickly moved to sit next to her, pulling her into his side and peppering kisses in her hair. 

“We’re gonna get back Jem,” he said, stroking her arm, feeling her slowly calm. His own mind was racing, heart pounding beneath his ribs. “Jemma -” She took his hand as he said her name, guiding it down to press against her stomach. 

“Fitz… we’re going to have a baby.” She whispered the words so quietly that he had to strain to hear them, his own eyes welling with tears as each syllable sunk into his mind. 

“Yeah?” he questioned, voice cracking on the word. Jemma nodded, her smile watery as she looked over at him, noticing how he was completely beaming at her. 

“Yes,” she confirmed. 

“Well then. I better hurry up and get us home. Can’t have you stuck here when you start having cravings for pickles and ice cream,” he said firmly, standing up. She rolled her eyes, easily being tugged up next to him before he enveloped her into a tight hug. “And can’t have this little one coming into the world where her parents aren’t married yet. As old fashioned as that sounds.” 

“I think it sounds perfect,” Jemma whispered, nuzzling into his neck. “Although there is a fifty percent chance it’s going to be a boy.” Fitz chuckled, shaking his head. 

“Nah, it’s definitely a girl.” 


	8. The Babysitter

“Fitz, when was the last time we went out?” Jemma asked, coming into the dining room. Fitz looked up, cocking his head to the side in thought. 

“Uh…” he muttered, not quite sure of the answer. “I’m sorry Love, I don’t recall.” Jemma sighed, hearing Aiden yelling something at Ellie from the other room. She waited a few seconds and when there was no resounding crash or further screaming, she settled into the chair next to him. 

“We need a night without the kids,” she announced, watching her husband carefully scrawl another line on the blueprints in front of him. He hummed noncommittally, looking at what he had drawn with a critical eye. “I tried calling the team but everyone seems to be busy. I was thinking maybe we could ask Kelsey to watch the children.” At that he dropped the pencil, raising an eyebrow at her. 

“Kelsey. As in the sixteen year old that lives down the street. The one who’s been going on about wanting to babysit since they moved in just before Tristan was born?” he asked, skeptical. 

“Yes,” Jemma agreed, trying not to laugh at how Tristan was drooling on his father’s button-up, the baby’s head resting against Fitz’s chest as he sat on his knee. The teether he held dripping over his hand as he tried to alleviate the ache in his mouth. 

“Jem, are you sure? We don’t know her very well and -”

“Fitz, I can’t remember the last time we had sex,” she blurted, feeling her cheeks heat as she quickly clapped her hands over Tristan’s ears, lowering her voice. The child looked up at his mother, confused, before going back to his chewing. 

“But- I- surely,” Fitz stammered, eyes wide. “I’m sure we’ve… I mean…”

“I don’t think we’ve had sex since Tris was born. He’s almost nine months old Fitz.” 

“That can’t be true. I’m sure we’ve… ah… I… fuck,” Fitz swore, wincing at the glare Jemma shot him. “Sorry,” he muttered, knowing she wasn’t happy about him swearing around the kids. 

“Can I go ask Kelsey if she’s free tonight now?” she pressed, releasing her hands from Tristan before she stood back up. Fitz nodded, swallowing hard as Jemma wandered into the other room, Ellie’s voice following her mother as the front door opened. Aiden appeared a second later, crawling up onto his father’s unoccupied knee. 

“Daddy, come play,” Aiden pleaded. Fitz dropped a kiss into his blonde curls. 

“Alright, I’m coming.” 

\--

“So Tristan is teething at the moment, but there are a few pacifiers in the fridge you can give him if he’s getting fussy. And there’s a dose of children’s paracetamol already measured out. It’s on the kitchen counter. You can give him that if he’s still not settling after half an hour. All three of them have already eaten but there is a bottle in the fridge for Tristan when he’s being put to bed. Bedtime is eight, no exceptions, even if the little monkeys try to tell you they can stay up late,” Jemma rambled, showing Kelsey around the house. The blonde girl nodded, carefully side-stepping the occasionally discarded toy on the carpet. 

“Jem, don’t overwhelm the poor girl,” Fitz teased, coming around the corner to kiss his wife gently on the cheek, Ellie on his hip. “All of the instructions are posted on the fridge, Kelsey. As are our phone numbers. We’re just going down to see a film that starts at half six and then to grab dinner. We’ll be back by ten.”

“Okay Mr. Fitzsimmons,” Kelsey nodded. 

“Right. Ellie, be good for Kelsey and keep your brothers in line for me and Mum, okay?” Fitz asked, settling his daughter down on her feet. She nodded. 

“Can you bring me back some cake Daddy?” Ellie asked, her voice quiet so as not to alert her brother. Fitz bent down, kissing her on the head. 

“Of course,” he assured her. “I’ll make sure its a good kind too, none of that icky stuff Mummy likes.” Ellie giggled at that, hugging him before flouncing off in search of Aiden. “Tris is in the playpen in the living room. Don’t hesitate to call or text if you have any questions.” 

“But Fitz -” Jemma tried, laughing as he tugged her out of the house. 

“BYE KELSEY, BYE KIDS!” he yelled, gently guiding Jemma into his car once they were on the drive. 

“You’re ridiculous,” Jemma teased. 

“We’ll be late for the film if we don’t get a move on,” he explained, turning on the headlights as he backed out of the drive.  

\--

“Hi Ellie,” Kelsey said, crouching down next to where the girl was reading, her hands barely big enough to keep the book open. “What are you reading? Fairy tales?” 

“No, fairy tales are for bedtime stories. I’m reading about bioluminescence in jellyfish,” Ellie answered, flipping to the next page and pointing to a picture of a Halicreas Minimum.

“Uhh, oh. Um, that’s cool,” the young woman said, standing up as Tristan started crying from the pack and play. “Hey little guy, you’re alright,” she cooed, picking him up and heading to the fridge for a teether as Tristan started trying to chew his own fingers, tears streaming down his face. He grabbed the silicone ring the second it was in Kelsey’s hand, shoving the textured part into his mouth and biting down before sliding his jaw back and forth. Kelsey scrunched up her nose, wondering if it was really a pleasant feeling. 

“Can we play catch?” Aiden asked, coming up behind her and tugging on her jeans. She turned, smiling down at him. 

“Of course. Let’s go in the living room, yeah?” he nodded, scurrying ahead of her. Kelsey sighed, wondering what she had gotten herself into. The kids were adorable, that was without a doubt. Ellie with big blue eyes and dark hair; Aiden with blonde hair and dark eyes, and little Tristan with his blue-green eyes and blonde curls. But a five year old reading a marine biology book? 

\--

They never made it to the movie. Jemma had opened the back door of the car to grab her purse only to find herself ushered into the back seat, Fitz crawling in with her as the door slammed. She was glad he had parked at the back of the lot, their panting breaths heating the windows quickly but the shaking of the car doing little to disguise what they were doing.  They grabbed take out after, driving out into the country and eating on the hood of the car and watching the stars while the last of the fog cleared from the windows, Jemma’s hair still slightly damp with sweat when Fitz kissed her on the neck between bites, nuzzling into her. 

“I’m glad we got out tonight,” he whispered, stroking the back of her hand. 

“Me too,” Jemma agreed, curling into his side as she discarded the last of the Chinese food. “Do you think we should go back?” Fitz rolled his eyes, glancing at his watch and seeing that it was barely quarter to eight. Pulling out his phone, he launched the security camera app, the feed from the living room coming up. Kelsey seemed to be talking with Aiden, a confused look on her face while Tristan was dozing in her arms. 

“They’re fine Jem,” he assured her, kissing her temple. “Besides… we’re out here in the middle of nowhere on our own for the first time in months. Let’s not let the back seat get too lonely without us,” he grinned. 

“I don’t know. I think the hood of the car is pretty comfortable if a little chilly. Maybe you can help me warm it up?”

\--

“But the way-leth of the ball is cos of its mo-tum cos of the Plan-ach con-ant and a par-cle can’t tell you the way the photon gonna be,” Aiden rushed, little hands flying around while Ellie watched from the couch, carefully colouring a picture. 

“I… uh,” Kelsey stuttered, completely lost. The toddler had been trying to teach her something about playing catch but then he had started rambling. Between his somewhat staggered speech, typical of other three year olds she had met, and the content, she had no idea what he was going on about. 

“Its quantum physics,” Ellie said, noticing the older girl’s wide eyes. “Aiden, she’s not like Mummy and Daddy. She’s still in school.” Aiden turned his brown eyes on his sister before sighing dramatically, dropping the ball on the carpet. “Say sorry.” 

“Sowwie,” he mumbled. “I’m sleepy,” he added around a yawn. 

“Well eight o’clock is bedtime and it’s almost eight. Why don’t we go get your jim-jams on and then I can read you something?” Kelsey offered, relieved when Ellie grabbed Aiden’s hand and pulled him towards the stairs, Tristan already asleep in her arms as she followed the children. What three year old talked about quantum physics anyway?

\--

“How were they?” Jemma asked the minute they were through the front door, her concern for her children overcoming the relaxation she had felt for the last few hours. She was wearing Fitz’s cardigan to cover the love bite that was blooming on her collarbone, not wanting the girl to know what they had actually been up to. 

“They were great. I… I’m not going to lie, I didn’t know what they were talking about a few times,” Kelsey confessed, feeling her cheeks heat. “Something about a plan-arch?” 

“Planck constant. It’s one of the concepts to due with wave-particle duality,” Fitz explained, wincing. “Aiden hasn’t quite figured out how to explain it yet. Or to say the words. But he does understand the general concept.” 

“But they were well behaved? Nothing went too amiss?” Jemma continued, ignoring how her husband shook his head, a fond smile on his face before he passed her, kissing her cheek as he headed for the stairs to check on the kids. 

“No Mrs. Fitzsimmons, they were really good. Went to bed without any complaints. Ellie was a big help she, uh, picked a book that I could at least read without wondering what the words meant.” Jemma nodded, taking money from her purse and handing it to the girl. “How was the movie?” Jemma couldn’t help but blush. 

“It was good. A little dull here and there but it was nice to get out,” she lied, hoping the vague answer would be enough. “Thank you again Kelsey, we both very much appreciated your help tonight. I’ll watch from the porch to make sure you get back home safe,” Jemma said as the girl shoved her feet into her trainers before moving to the door. 

“Goodnight,” Kelsey called, heading down the front walk and out the gate, Jemma’s eyes following her as she moved down the street and then into her own front garden. 

“Alright?” Fitz asked, coming to stand next to her on the porch, Tristan in his arms. The baby was gnawing on another teether, his blue eyes struggling to stay open. 

“Mm,” Jemma answered, leaning into his side and stroking a hand over Tristan’s hair. “Did you put Ellie’s cake in the fridge?” 

“Yeah. I’ll let her have it when the boys are getting their bath tomorrow,” he replied. 

\--

“LEO FITZ,” Jemma growled, storming down the stairs a month later, her husband again at the table but this time clearing away the dishes from the children’s breakfast. 

“Jem?” he asked. 

“We have sex  _ one time _ in nearly a year and you manage to get me pregnant again!” she huffed, tossing the pregnancy test against his chest. He fumbled with it slightly before looking down to see the plastic in his hands, a smile curving over his face. 

“Technically, it was three times, just all in one night,” he teased, dropping the dish towel onto the table before crossing the room to gather her into his arms. 

“Ugh! Semantics,” Jemma mumbled, kissing him gently as she grinned, a giggle breaking free from her lips. “We’re having another baby.” 


	9. The Storm

“God-damn god of thunder! Couldn’t pick another day to - oh God!” Jemma groaned, a sob tearing out of her as she grabbed at the back of the chair, dropping her head down to her arms as she whimpered, rocking her hips from side to side. 

“You’re alright, I’ve got you,” Fitz murmured, rubbing circles into her back as he tried to help hold her up, keeping tabs on his watch. “Should only be a few more seconds,” he added after a beat, feeling Jemma’s body slowly relax as she let out a drawn out breath. 

“We can’t do this here,” she said, tears in her eyes as she turned back to look at her husband, fear written over her face. 

“I don’t think we have much of a choice Jem. It’s too dangerous to go out in this storm,” Fitz replied, cupping her cheek in his hand. The storm had come quickly, the news station talking about the Avengers fighting some huge entity not that far from them. As a result, Thor had been creating a huge electrical storm that made it impossible to even get to the SUV in the driveway, let alone into town and to the hospital. 

“I need to lie down,” Jemma panted, accepting Fitz’s arm as he helped her move from the desk to the bed, lowering her gingerly onto the edge of the mattress as she winced, immediately scooting backwards and reclining against the pillows. 

“I’m going to go get some water and towels,” Fitz told her, dropping a kiss on her forehead. “Don’t have that baby until I get back, yeah?” he said, trying to make her laugh. Her response, however, was to clench her eyes tightly shut, humming in the back of her throat as another contraction spread through her belly. He nearly ran down the hall once he cleared the doorway, slamming into the bathroom to grab towels before rushing down the stairs, considering turning on the tap for a moment before deciding it was a bad idea, grabbing the case of water on the floor instead. He was just about to mount the stairs when the front door crashed open, May coming in with a wall of rain following her. 

“Roads are washed out,” she growled, shoving the door closed before shaking out her hair. “We can’t get anywhere until this rain stops.” 

“Jemma’s contractions are less than two minutes apart,” he blurted in reply, watching the older woman give a decisive nod, pulling her hair back into a ponytail before she went to grab some dry clothes. 

“I’ll meet you in there as soon as I get changed,” May replied. “And Fitz? If you pass out on me when your wife is giving birth I’ll kick your ass.” Swallowing hard, he nodded, taking the towels and water back upstairs. He found that Jemma had squirmed around, her trousers kicked off and the sheet draped over her hips. 

“Fitz,” she breathed, reaching out for him. He dropped everything to rush to her side, taking her hand and holding it to his chest as she endured another contraction. “I feel like I need to push.” 

“Okay, okay. May is here, she’ll be right up Jem. What do I need to do?” 

“Put a towel under my hips,” Jemma instructed, managing to lift herself just enough for him to shove the towel beneath her, noticing how her legs were shaking. He did his best not to glance between them, but ultimately failed, his jaw dropping open when he could actually  _ see _ the top of the baby’s head. 

“J-jemma, I- holy shit,” he murmured, sitting up to stare at her, wide eyed. 

“What?!” she demanded, fists clenched in the sheets. 

“I… I can see the head,” he managed, suddenly needing to blink tears from his eyes. 

“Alright Dad, go help your wife,” May’s voice said, the other woman coming into the room and gently nudging Fitz up until he was sitting next to Jemma, his fingers being crushed in her hand. “He’s right though Jemma, that baby is right there waiting to come meet you.” 

“Fitz,” Jemma gasped, looking at him. Her expression was one of awe mixed with fear as he stroked her hair. 

“You can do this Love, I’m right here,” Fitz assured her. 

“Jemma, you’re gonna feel my hands now, okay?” May said, Jemma wincing when the other woman touched her, fingers travelling around where the baby’s head was starting to crown. “Okay, I need you to pull your thighs back and take a deep breath, push on your next contraction.” Jemma took a deep breath before following the instructions, a scream tearing out of her as she bore down, hard. The process continued a few more times before May’s eyes widened slightly, her hands keeping close to Jemma’s body. “Okay, okay, stop for a second, breath nice and slow.” 

“That’s it, good Jem, just keep breathing,” Fitz said, glancing between his wife’s face and May’s,  his hand coming to help keep Jemma’s thigh pulled back as May maneuvered the baby.

“You’re halfway there Jemma, the head is out, now one more big push and we should have the shoulders.” Jemma’s head rolled onto Fitz’s shoulder, her breathing ragged and hair sticking to her skin. 

“I - I can’t,” she struggled. 

“Yeah you can Love. The baby’s almost here. Just one more push,” he encouraged even as she shook her head. Carefully, Fitz moved onto the bed, sitting behind Jemma and helping her curl forward, pulling both her legs back towards her chest. “C’mon Love, one more,” he breathed. Taking a gulp of air she pushed, a shuddering scream echoing around the room just as lightning flashed outside, thunder booming a second later as May shifted the baby, the infant sliding down onto the towel. It was only a heartbeat before the newborn’s cries started, tiny limbs flailing as May picked the baby up. 

“Its a girl,” she smiled, placing the baby on Jemma’s stomach, quickly covering the infant in a towel as both scientists burst into tears. Jemma reached down, clutching the baby to her chest, sobbing, as Fitz kissed her temple over and over, his own hand tangling with his wife’s as they held the child. 

“She’s so beautiful,” Fitz choked out. “I am so, so proud of you,” he added, turning Jemma’s face long enough to kiss her before they were both drawn back to their daughter. 

“Congratulations,” May said quietly, tears on her own lashes as she beamed at them.  

“Thank you Melinda,” Jemma whispered, completely enraptured. Fitz gave May a smile, unable to find the words he wanted, tears tracking down his face as she nodded at the new little family, unable to stop the grin that broke out. Her babies just had a baby.  


	10. Kisses

“Fitz,” Jemma whispered, lips trailing over his jaw. “Fitz, wake up.” He made a noise in the back of his throat, his hand coming up to tangle in her hair as he drew her into a kiss, never even opening his eyes. 

“Morning,” he muttered against her lips, feeling her wriggle closer, her hand stroking up and down his chest before playing with the waistband of his pyjama pants. “Oh, it’s that kind of morning,” he smirked. 

“You know what I’m like in the second trimester,” she replied, letting out a soft moan as he suddenly bound his arms around her waist, rolling her onto her back as he settled between her legs. He could feel the bump of her stomach pressing into him, a surge of amazement sliding through him at the realisation that his wife was swelling with child again, their second baby due in a few months time. 

“You sure it’s just the pregnancy? It’s not just being overcome with how attractive your husband is in the morning?” he teased, dragging his stubble across her neck and causing Jemma to squeal with laughter, a groan punching out of her as he kissed and nipped at her collarbone. 

“It - it might be both,” she confessed, rolling her hips against him as she felt him respond to her proximity. “Although, I don’t hear any complaints.” He grinned, trailing kisses up her throat until he could kiss her properly again, rocking against her as they kissed, tongues dancing with one another as his hand started to wander down her side.  

“God I love you,” he whispered, licking into her mouth just as he slipped a hand under the hem of her shirt, moving it upwards. The door slammed open just as he got his hand to where he wanted it. 

“I want kiss too!” Ellie giggled, attempting to scramble up onto the bed. Fitz froze, his entire body locking up save for his head, his neck protesting when he whipped his gaze to the side, finding the little girl halfway onto the mattress. His hand was wrenched from beneath Jemma’s shirt, coming to scramble with the edge of the duvet. 

“Ellie! Hold on!” he rushed, carefully trying to move as Jemma was turning pink, trying to stifle her giggles. She grabbed a pillow, shoving it into his lap as he managed to get himself out from between her thighs, carefully grabbing Ellie and lifting her onto the bed. 

“Daddy, kiss!” she insisted, pressing a sloppy kiss onto his cheek. 

“Thank God she’s not older,” he moaned, glad that things hadn’t progressed enough for her to have walked in on anything too heated. Jemma couldn’t hold in her laughter, her head thrown back against the pillows at how red her husband was, his discomfort plain on his face. 

“Mummy?” Ellie queried, confused. 

“Go give Mummy a kiss, Daddy needs to use the bathroom,” Fitz grumbled, letting Ellie crawl over to her mother as he got off the bed, stumbling into the ensuite. “I blame your hormones for this!” he called just before slamming the door. Jemma kept chuckling, kissing Ellie on the nose before the little girl snuggled into her mother’s chest, a contented sigh escaping her.

When he returned he found Ellie looking confused, her hand pressed to Jemma’s belly. 

“Mummy, why feel funny?” the little girl asked. 

“That’s the baby kicking Ellie,” Jemma explained, carefully pressing their daughter’s hand more tightly to her stomach. “He or she is trying to say hello to you.” 

“Baby soon?” Ellie inquired, head cocked to the side. 

“Not for another couple months Sweetheart. The baby still needs to grow some more. He or she is still very tiny.” 

“Do you like feeling the baby kick Ellie?” Fitz questioned, sitting down on the edge of the mattress and carding his hand through his daughter’s curls. She nodded, blue eyes moving up to his face. 

“Daddy… can kiss baby?” Glancing up, he watched Jemma’s eyes water. 

“Of course Darling,” he told her, smiling softly. Ellie frowned. 

“How?” she asked, her favourite question aside from ‘why.’

“Watch,” Fitz explained, gently moving Jemma’s shirt up until her stomach was bare. “Just like this Ellie,” he said, leaning down and pressing his lips to the swell of Jemma’s abdomen. When he sat back up, Ellie looked determined, her little hand resting against the mattress as she carefully leaned forward, kissing Jemma’s belly tenderly on the spot where she had been feeling the kicks. 

“Otay?” she asked, leaning back. Jemma was openly crying then, grabbing the little girl and pulling her into a hug as Fitz came to cuddle up with them. 

“That was perfect,” Jemma whispered, lips pressed into the crown of Ellie’s head as she kissed her over and over. “You’re going to be such a good big sister.”


	11. Mama May takes care of her kids

Fitz frowned, arms crossed over his chest as Coulson looked at him imploringly.

“We really need your help,” Coulson said, voice level and fitted with the appropriate amount of pleading. Fitz clenched his jaw, not wanting to go out in the field but he knew it was either consent or have to explain why he was reluctant.

“Fine,” he muttered. “I just need to speak with May first.” The Director nodded, going back to the file in front of him as Fitz left the room, trying to quell the unease in his stomach as he moved towards the gym, knowing that he would find May in there, probably with Daisy. His suspicions were correct, the Inhuman taking on a punching bag while May quietly moved through her Tai-Chi. She opened her eyes when he stopped in front of her, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

“Fitz,” she said, carefully transitioning into the next movement.

“I… um, I have a favour to ask,” he rushed. She raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. “I’d prefer to speak to you in private,” he added, glancing over to Daisy who was just pulling her headphones out. Sighing and dropping her stance, May directed him to the opposite end of the room with a shift of her jaw before she started walking.

“What’s this favour?” she asked when they were out of Daisy’s earshot, eyes flicking over where Fitz was nervously massaging his hand.

“I… I need you to look after Jemma. Coulson has me going out on a mission and she’s… she’s not been well and, uh,” he rambled, feeling his cheeks heat. “She’s going to be furious that I’ve spoken to anyone but I figured if anyone can keep a secret and keep calm it’s you.”

“Fitz, is something wrong?” May questioned, her expression shifting slightly as she put a hand on his elbow, watching his face. Fitz fought with himself for a moment before sighing, eyes slipping shut as a breath shuddered out of him.

“Jemma’s pregnant,” he started, barely above a whisper. “She spent the entire night being sick and she’s exhausted and hormonal and she’s terrified that something’s going to go wrong and that she’s going to lose the baby. She’s only eight weeks along, she doesn’t want anyone knowing. But I can’t in all good conscience leave her alone but I couldn’t tell Coulson and –”

“I’ve got this,” May assured him, stopping him before he could become slightly hysterical. He took a deep breath, nodding.

“Thank you,” he said, smiling softly at her before ducking out of the gym to go gather the equipment he needed. May watched him go, trying to contain the wave of affection that washed through her at his concern for his wife. She showered quickly, dressing before heading off towards Fitz and Jemma’s bunk, ignoring the look of curiosity from Daisy as she left. She knocked softly on the door before sliding her key-card through the control panel and overriding the lock before slipping inside.

Jemma was curled up on her side, an empty trash bin next to the bed. She was pale, dark circles beneath her eyes even in sleep. It was in the dim light that May saw the young girl that had first stepped on the Bus years before, albeit she looked more tired than bubbly, but the worry lines seemed to have diminished in sleep and the ghosts behind her eyes were shuttered away. Planting herself in the chair by the desk, she grabbed a discarded novel, flipping it open and starting to read.

She stayed reading quietly for a few hours before Jemma made a discontented noise, squirming around. Carefully, May crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed, stroking Jemma’s hair off her face. The scientist groaned, rolling her face into the pillow for a moment before blinking up at her.

“May, what are –”

“Fitz sent me,” May explained, watching the slight panic fill Jemma’s eyes. “It’s okay Jemma. I’m not going to say anything to anyone.” Instead of placating the girl, it made her sit up, pulling her knees up to her chest and pressing her hand to her forehead as a wave of dizziness passed through her. Jemma breathed through her mouth for a moment, eyes clenched shut until she had control of herself.

“He shouldn’t have said anything to _you_ either,” she snarled, sudden tears appearing in her eyes. “After all… this… this could be nothing. There’s no guarantees. I told… I told him I didn’t want to tell anyone because… because if- if something happens I couldn’t –” She dissolved into sobs then, trying to curl even further in on herself as she pressed her face into her knees.

“Oh Jemma,” May breathed, shifting until she could wrap an arm around Jemma’s shoulders. Although she stiffened at the contact, it was only for a split second before she was crumping against May’s chest, crying into her shoulder.

“I don’t want to lose this baby,” Jemma wept, her entire body shaking. May stroked her hair, keeping her close as she watched Jemma place a shaky hand on her belly, jerking it back after a second. May frowned at the action but didn’t comment, trying to pacify the woman in her arms with silent affection. When Jemma had calmed slightly, May sat back, looking at her.

“What scares you about this?” she asked softly, watching Jemma bite her lip, eyes still watering.

“I don’t know,” she whispered, sniffing as she looked down at her hands. “Everything.”

“There has to be something particular?” The question made the younger woman pause, frowning as she tugged at a loose thread on the blanket before she let out a long exhale.

“I want this May. So much. And… and with everything that’s happened to us… what if this is just something else we’re going to have taken away? I’ve been starved and tortured and to the future and a different planet. What… what if my body can’t handle this?” she hiccupped.

“You’ve survived all that for a reason. You’re one of the strongest people I know.”

“Thank you,” Jemma muttered, unsure how to take the compliment as she rubbed at her nose, the jumper she was wearing one that she had stolen from Fitz.

“Have you talked to Fitz about this?”

“He… he’s trying to be optimistic,” she confessed. “I just… I don’t know how to listen to it right now.”

“Jemma, have you had an ultrasound yet?” May questioned, watching the girl shake her head. With a decisive nod, she slipped off the bed, tugging the blanket around Jemma’s shoulders. “Right. We’re going to fix that.” Jemma looked at her with confused, red-rimmed eyes before the pilot swept out of the room, heading to medical. None of the techs seemed brave enough to approach her as she wandered over to the portable machine, grabbing a few attachments before she left as quickly as she had come.

Jemma was sitting again when she got back, blowing her nose and trying to dry the still falling tears from her face.

“May –” she started, jaw snapping shut when May lifted her hand.

“I haven’t done this since I was fresh out of the Academy, so you might to have to talk me through it.” Jemma blinked at her.

“You… you had to give someone an ultrasound? May… this isn’t an abdominal ultrasound, it would have to be –”

“Transvaginal, I know Simmons. I was undercover at a lab once,” May explained. “Get yourself sorted out, I’ll turn around.” The words left little to no argument and despite the blush Jemma felt filtering onto her cheeks, she stripped her pyjama pants off, tugging the bedsheet over her lap.

“We… you don’t have to do this,” Jemma muttered. May gave her a look.

“Jemma. You’re going to be panicking until you know things are okay. And I know it won’t alleviate all your fears, but this might help, if even for a little bit,” she explained, sitting at the end of the bed and flicking the machine on, attaching the transducer and prepping it accordingly. Jemma scrunched up her nose at the reality of the device, spreading her legs and staring up at the ceiling. “You ready?” Jemma nodded, eyes closing as she tried to breathe through the discomfort, keeping her body still as the transducer slipped inside her. “Jemma, breathe,” May encouraged, noticing how the other woman was holding her breath. Jemma let out a shudder, tears slipping from her closed eyes as May turned her attention to the machine in her lap.

“Is – is there a heartbeat?” Jemma asked after a few minutes, her voice breaking on the query. May smiled, flipping the audio on.

“You tell me,” she whispered, the whooshing sound thumping around the room. Jemma let out a sob, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as the baby’s heartbeat surrounded her. “Little one looks alright to me.” May held up the screen, showing Jemma the blurry image of the embryo. Jemma’s shaking hand came to press against the monitor then, stroking over the picture of the baby.

“Hi,” she breathed, a beaming smile crossing her face as she traced the little figure, a laugh exploding out of her when it moved, squirming around. “Oh, hi.” She didn’t notice Fitz standing in the doorway, a dumbstruck look on his face as he blinked, unable to stop his own tears when he realised what was going on. May glanced over at him, jerking her head slightly as an indication that he should move. He was across the floor in a second, dropping to his knees next to the bed as he kissed Jemma’s temple, his hand joining hers against the monitor.

“Jem,” he croaked.

“There’s a heartbeat Fitz,” she told him, voice catching as she kissed him, smiling the entire time.

“You should record this,” May gently suggested, watching as Fitz fumbled for his phone, turning on the audio capture as they all sat in silence for a minute. He used the camera to record the screen after, trying to keep the shaking in his hands to a minimum but failing. “Alright, Jemma, I’m going to take this out now.” Jemma nodded, eyes closed as she turned her face into Fitz’s chest, wincing when May removed the transducer. “And now I’m going to leave you two.” She grabbed the equipment, sweeping out of the room.

“Thank you,” Jemma whispered as Fitz climbed onto the bed with her, gathering her into his arms as he passed her his phone, letting her play the video he’d taken of the ultrasound. “I know I said I didn’t want anyone else to know yet but… May… she was perfect. Thank you.” Fitz kissed her cheek.

“Think she’s going to let us have the baby call her grandma?”

Jemma’s laughter boomed around the room.


	12. Held Captive

“Fitz,” Jemma whispered, trying to keep the panic out of her voice as her husband paced the cell they had been shoved into. He was muttering to himself, trying not to let his anger explode into the tiny room even as it simmered in his veins. “Fitz.”

“Should never have bloody well consented to doing anything for the team. We said we weren’t going to do this anymore. Lab work only and _only_ when they couldn’t figure it out on their own,” he groused, trying to feel around the edge of the door for anything that could help them get out.

“Fitz,” Jemma tried again, putting a little more urgency into her tone when he still didn’t respond, digging through his pockets to see if he had anything that they could use to try and open the door.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” he mumbled, tossing away an empty gum wrapper and a random tissue, sighing at the meagre contents he had come up with.

“Fitz!”

“I don’t care what the issue is, when we get out of here we are going back to Scotland and –”

“LEO!” The sound of his first name made him jump, his eyes snapping to where Jemma was leaning against the wall, sweat dotting her forehead. He dropped what he was doing instantly, rushing to her side and cupping her face.

“Jem, what –”

“I think I’m having contractions,” she said. His eyes went wide at the admission, scanning over her in quick succession.

“What? But… you’re… the baby isn’t due for two weeks.”

“You know that thirty-seven weeks is considered full term. I’m already thirty-eight.” He noticed her wince at the statement, letting out a shuddering breath a few seconds later as she grabbed for his hand.

“Okay. Okay. We’re going to figure something out,” he said, his free hand pushing her hair out of her face. He barely had the words out when their captors returned.

“Come with me,” the larger of the two men said, waving a gun at them. Fitz swallowed hard, trying to run through everything he had been reading about labour and delivery since they had found out Jemma was pregnant. He gave a small nod, wrapping his arm around Jemma’s waist as he helped her to move.

“Woman can’t even walk on her own?” the other man teased, his accent thick. Fitz clenched his jaw, forcing his concentration on the ginger way Jemma was moving, one hand protectively on her belly while the other clenched into Fitz’s coat. They followed the directions of the man as best they could, Jemma breathing hard as she tried to keep them from seeing her condition as another contraction slowly edged its way through her body as they moved into a lab.

“You make this, yeah?” the first man said, holding up some schematics. Fitz frowned, trying to pour over them quickly despite how his attention kept moving back to Jemma.

“I… that’s not my design,” he managed after a moment, the man laughing in response.

“No, but you can make.” The tone brokered no argument. “You make or your woman may not be so comfortable.” The words were thrown with a wave of his gun, pointing it first at Jemma’s head before he moved it over her stomach. Fitz growled, immediately stepping in front of her.

“You hurt my wife or our baby and I won’t be doing _anything_ to help you.” The man laughed at his vitriol, waving his partner away.

“Relax, you build and everyone is okay,” he grinned, dropping the schematics on the table. “Start now.” The two left the room then, leaving Jemma and Fitz on their own. The minute the door closed Jemma let out a low whine, causing Fitz to spin around and wrap his arms around her as she dropped her forehead to his shoulder.

“The team is going to come get us, right?” she asked, voice cracking.

“Yes,” he answered, hoping that he wasn’t making her a false promise as he gently led her to a less open part of the room, helping her to sit on the ground. “I’m going to see if I can find any blankets or anything,” he commented, squeezing her hand quickly before darting around the room, opening various cabinets and cursing when he found them either empty or only containing things he would need to build the damn weapon on the blueprints.

“You… you need to build the prototype,” she grit out when he slammed the last cabinet.

“I need to look after you!” he shot back.

“Fitz, if they don’t think you’re working, we could all be in danger,” she said, trying to keep her tone even. “Besides, labour usually takes ages, especially for first time mums. I’ll be fine.” He frowned, looking her over top to bottom before sighing.

“The minute your contractions start getting stronger, you tell me. I’m not going to have you deliver our baby on the floor while I’m tinkering away –”

“FITZ! Shut up and start working!” His jaw snapped shut as he nodded, yanking off his jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders, taking one last hard look at her before turning to look at the schematics. She rested her head against the cabinet, breathing through the contractions.

Their captors came back to check on them every few hours, the larger man growing impatient as he growled out orders for Fitz to work faster. The engineer snarked that the device was delicate, needing his full concentration and that their interruptions weren’t helping. With a threatening glare, the man left again.

Jemma did her best to stay quiet, managing almost an hour of intermittent spasms after the last visit from the men before her water broke, causing her to let out a gasp. Fitz was at her side instantly, using a discarded cloth to try and clean her up so she wasn’t sitting in the amniotic fluid, his face pale and eyes terrified.

“Tell me what to do,” he panicked, cupping her cheek.

“Don’t worry, labour can still take hours. We only need to worry if its been close to twenty-four hours and I haven’t delivered,” she said in reply, closing her eyes as the pain arched up her back.

“Jemma, we don’t even know how far dilated you are,” Fitz protested. Rolling her eyes, she shimmied out of her trousers, using his jacket to cover her from the waist down as she lay back against the floor.

“Then check,” she prompted, trying not to grind her teeth at his expression. Instead of doing as she told him, he stood up, pacing the room for a moment before coming back, a pair of sterile gloves now on his hands.

“You know, this isn’t exactly –”

“Don’t even finish that sentence,” she groused, trying to keep a firm hold on the giggle that wanted to break out of her, partially from nervousness and partially from knowing his comment would have likely been a lewd one. Smiling, he ducked his head, pressing his hand between her legs until he could slip his fingers in, confusion morphing into intense worry. “What?” She demanded, trying to sit up but failing, his hand being yanked back as another contraction hit her.

“Shh, deep breaths,” he encouraged, shucking the gloves and grabbing her hand, stroking her hair back from her face as she winced through it.

“What… what’s wrong?” she panted, sweat breaking out across her skin when it passed.

“You’re… I could feel the baby Jem. The… head. I could feel it. And I don’t just mean a little bit. It is right there,” he explained, trying to keep his tone level as he watched her eyes widen and fill with tears.

“I… Fitz… we can’t –” Jemma rushed, terror lacing her words as she grabbed for her trousers, trying to yank them back on. “I can’t –”

“Hey, none of that,” he soothed, stopping her hands. “We’re going to be okay. I’m going to go grab some of the cloths I found and some scissors. We can do this.”

“I don’t want to,” she choked out, nausea rushing through her. “I think I’m going to be sick.” He barely managed to grab the trash bin from the opposite side of the room and get back to her before she was throwing up. He cringed, holding her up while rubbing at his thigh, having smacked it against the counter he had been working on in his haste to get back to her in time. She sagged against him a moment later, unable to stop the loud moan that tore out of her at the next contraction. “We’re supposed to have this baby in a hospital,” she whimpered.

“I know,” he replied, kissing the crown of her head. “And if there was any way that I -” He didn’t manage to finish, the door crashing open a heartbeat later. Without thinking, he threw himself over Jemma, trying to shield her from anything that meant her harm.

“Jesus,” Daisy’s voice rung out, her eyes wide at the picture of the two scientists on the floor. “What’s –”

“We need to get to a hospital, now,” Fitz barked, “unless you want to deliver a baby.” The Inhuman looked stunned for a moment before nearly screaming into her comm that they needed a medical team immediately and for May to figure out the closest hospital. Jemma laughed weakly, tears in the corners of her eyes.

“Can you help me get my trousers back on now? I don’t need everyone seeing me naked from the waist down.” Gulping, he nodded, carefully sliding the fabric back up his wife’s legs before wrapping the jacket around her hips again, lifting her off the floor with only a slight grunt.

“Fitz, medical is on the way –”

“No time, we need to go, now,” he said, already heading for the door as Jemma panted into his neck, Daisy scrambling to catch up to him before leading them towards where Mack was waiting for them. They made it to the quinjet within five minutes, the medical officer looking unsure how to proceed as May yelled at him to sit down and shut up so that they could get to the real doctors.

Less than twenty minutes later found Jemma being rushed into a delivery room, Fitz gripping her hand tightly as the OB yanked on a gown, giving instructions to the nurses as she slipped her gloves on, barely having time to get between Jemma’s legs before the biochemist was letting out a scream, unable to deny her body’s urge to push any longer.

It was over in less than five minutes.

The crying infant placed on Jemma’s stomach, her tiny body wriggling as both her parents placed trembling hands on her back, holding her close.

“Remind me to thank the team for their impeccable timing,” Fitz managed to whisper, voice breaking as he kissed the side of Jemma’s head over and over, his tears soaking into her hair. Jemma nodded, reluctantly letting the baby go so the doctor could check her over.

When things calmed down, the baby cleaned and swaddled, and the last of Jemma’s labour over, Fitz crawled on the bed with her, wrapping his wife up in his arms as their daughter rooted around for her mother’s breast.

“We should let the team know,” Jemma mused, exhaustion lacing her words as she watched the baby finally latch on, suckling sleepily. He nuzzled against her temple, eyes fluttering closed as the last dregs of panic finally slid away, letting him revel in the sensation of sharing space with his wife and daughter for the first time without anyone else present.

“In a minute.”


	13. The Team vs. The Toddler

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the team trying to care for Ellie when Fitzsimmons are kidnapped with bonus family reunion.

Daisy winced, preparing herself for whatever was about to come spilling out of the toddler in front of her. So far Hunter and Bobbi had both been foiled by the little girl, neither of them having anything to offer that the child wanted. Things had been fine earlier in the day when they had all taken turns playing with her, but as time dragged on and the toddler became agitated at the lack of her parents, it was evident that none of the agents were a proper substitute.

“Ellie,” she started, moving slowly towards the girl. “Do you want to come get something to eat with me?” Blue eyes turned on her, confusion written across the tiny features before Ellie cocked her head to the side.

“Where Mummy?” she asked. Daisy cursed internally, having hoped that the little girl had taken enough after her father to find food enough of a distraction from almost anything.

“Mummy and Daddy are… out right now.” Her words didn’t seem to have any placating effect, Ellie’s eyes immediately starting to fill with tears as she pulled her toy Eeyore into her chest.

“Want Mummy,” she said, voice cracking as tears started spilling over her lashes.

“Oh, hey, hey now, it’s okay, Aunt Daisy is here. We can play games or eat or watch a cartoon until Mummy gets back,” Daisy rushed, knowing that once Eleanore Fitzsimmons started full on crying, there was no going back. The girl had a set of lungs on her that made Daisy’s ears ache. Ellie shook her head, hiccupping as she started crying harder, demanding her parents.

“What is all this noise?” May said, coming around the corner to find Daisy crouched in front of the toddler, rambling about anything and everything she could think of offering the child with no success.

“G-amma,” Ellie sobbed, pushing herself to her feet and stumbling over until she could clutch onto May’s legs. The older woman easily lifted her off the floor, cradling her against her chest as she shushed her lightly, letting the girl cry into her neck.

“Any word?” Daisy asked, trying to ignore the look of annoyance on May’s face that she couldn’t calm her niece enough to keep the girl happy for five minutes.

“Mack, Coulson and Yoyo are on it. They’re close to the drop off point now. Should know more in an hour,” May explained, kissing Ellie’s curls as she slowly felt the girl calming down. Daisy fidgeted, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

“I should be with them,” she grumbled.

“You should be here. You broke your collarbone less than a week ago. You’re not fit to go out in the field,” May scolded, trying not to laugh as her protégé huffed indignantly.

“Jemma and Fitz are missing, I should damn well –” she started, only to slap a hand over her mouth when Ellie turned to look at her, terror across her face. Her lip wobbled for a second before she dissolved into loud sobs. May glared, rocking the toddler from side to side as she walked around the room.

“Shh, you’re alright. Everything is okay,” May breathed, stroking Ellie’s back. “Why don’t you come watch a movie with me, hmm? We can watch Winnie the Pooh.” She felt the girl nod into her neck, tears staining her shirt. “Aunt Daisy is going to go to talk to Uncle Hunter and help figure out what she can do from here, seeing as she needs something to do.” With one last look at the Inhuman, May swept out of the room towards the common area and the TV, leaving Daisy to go off to the communications lab.

It took nearly a half hour, but May finally got Ellie to calm down and become distracted from the fact her parents were missing. The little one was cuddling Eeyore, eyes drifting closed every few seconds, while she mumbled along with Tigger’s singing. Bobbi popped her head in then, Hunter close behind as the two crept into the room, careful not to make any loud noises.

“Just heard from Coulson. Fitz and Simmons were being held in an old bunker but they’ve got them out. They’re going to be heading back soon,” Bobbi whispered, leaning over the back of the sofa to look down at Ellie.

“And they’re alright?” May queried.

“Fitz has a bit of a bump on the head and Simmons needs a few stitches on her arm, but they’re fine,” Hunter replied.

“Mummy?” Ellie asked, voice tired.

“Mummy and Daddy will be back very soon, why don’t you take a nap? When you wake up they’ll be here to give you a cuddle,” May said, ignoring how Hunter tried to hide a smirk behind his fist as Ellie crawled into her lap, her dark curls falling in her face before May pushed them back, stroking the girl’s hair.

“Not sleepy,” Ellie pouted.

“Come on Sprout, you’re falling asleep right now,” Hunter teased, moving until he could crouch down in front of the sofa. “Don’t want to make Grandma sing to you, do you?” May glared at him, trying to convey all the ways she would injure him once she was no longer holding a toddler against her chest.

“Mmph,” Ellie mumbled, eyes closing as she tugged Eeyore into her chest, little arms banding around his neck as she let out a sleepy sigh.

“Don’t piss her off, she’s got a wicked Mom face,” Daisy hissed from the doorway, watching Bobbi grab Hunter by the arm and tug him towards the door. May threw her a glare before letting her eyes drift back to the child in her lap, watching as Ellie fell asleep on the next breath.

\--

Daisy was standing in the hangar when the plane landed, Jemma and Fitz looking a little bruised and battered, but otherwise alright, as they walked down the ramp.

“Where’s Ellie?” Jemma asked without preamble.

“She’s sleeping in the common room with May,” Daisy explained, wincing when she saw the bandage on Jemma’s arm, blood seeping through the cloth. “You need to get that seen to before you do anything,” she added. Jemma rolled her eyes but stopped when Fitz placed his hand on the small of her back.

“You know Ellie doesn’t like the sight of blood,” he offered quietly.

“Takes after you,” Jemma muttered, allowing him to lead her to medical without another complaint, sitting down and letting the medic tend to her arm while another looked over the bump on Fitz’s head. Daisy stood in the doorway, trying to keep from being underfoot as she watched the two of them be tended to.

“We, uh, we’re not going to go out on missions anymore,” Fitz explained once he was given the all clear, Jemma snapping at the man who was doing her stitches. Daisy raised an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. “Jem… she was terrified that we wouldn’t get back. That we would die out there and Ellie would be left without either of us.”

“You know we would care for her in a heartbeat,” Daisy interjected.

“Of course. But… she’s our daughter. We want to be here to watch her grow up. And going out on missions… its not worth the sacrifice. So we both think that stopping, well, resigning in a sense, is the best option. Especially with another little one on the way.”

The minute the words were out of his mouth, Fitz’s eyes went wide.

“Wait, what?!” Daisy yelped. Fitz smacked her shoulder.

“Shut up!” he rushed, steering her out of the room and into the hallway before Jemma noticed the commotion. “Do not breathe a word of that,” he pleaded. “Jemma will kill me.”

“You’re… you guys are having another baby?” Daisy asked, voice quiet and laced with affection. He nodded.

“We only found out a couple weeks ago. Jem wants to wait till she’s in her second trimester to tell everyone. She’s only got another week and a half to go,” he explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Does Ellie know?”

“Not yet. She’s two. It’s going to take a bit of explaining and we want to make sure that things are alright before attempting to tell her,” he replied. Daisy threw her arms around him, hugging him tight.

“I’m so happy for you,” she whispered. Jemma appeared in the doorway then, confusion on her face.

“Fitz?” she asked.

“I, uh, was just telling Daisy that we’re not going to, um, go out on missions anymore,” he rambled, trying to ignore the way he could feel his cheeks heating slightly under his wife’s gaze.

“Can we go get Ellie now?” Jemma questioned, not seeming to pay much attention to Daisy as the hacker pulled away, discreetly wiping at her eyes. Fitz nodded, taking her hand and heading for the common room.

May was still sitting on the sofa, Ellie crashed out in her lap. The minute her eyes fell on their daughter, Jemma breathed a sigh of relief, sagging against Fitz’s side as he gave her a squeeze.

“She’s fine,” he whispered, kissing her temple. Jemma nodded, exhaling before she let go of his hand, moving until she was crouched down in front of Ellie and May.

“Was she alright?” Jemma queried, glancing up at the pilot.

“She missed you,” May explained. “She was a bit upset when you were gone so long, but we watched Winnie the Pooh and she finally fell asleep.” Fitz nodded from where he was standing at the end of the sofa, watching the menu screen for the DVD loop.

“Ellie, come on Love,” Jemma murmured, stroking her hand over the girl’s back. Ellie blinked awake a moment later, reaching for her mother with sleep-heavy limbs, Eeyore tumbling to the floor.

“Mummy,” she whispered, clinging to Jemma’s neck the minute she could wrap her arms around her. Jemma kissed Ellie’s hair, unable to stop the tears that cascaded over her lashes as she stood up, holding her daughter close. She curled into Fitz almost immediately, letting him wrap the both of them up, peppering kisses to her temple.

“She’s okay Jem, we’re all okay,” he said, holding her tight. Jemma nodded, still crying silently as she felt Ellie let out a sigh, falling back asleep in her mother’s arms. May stood up, stretching slightly before motioning for Fitz to bring both his wife and daughter back to the couch. Carefully, he nudged Jemma until her knees buckled and she sank into the cushions. He sat down next to her immediately, letting Jemma sag into his shoulder.

“We’re stopping, right?” she asked, voice tiny in the quiet of the room as May slipped out the door, giving them some privacy. “That was the last time we’ll go out in the field?”

“Yes,” he agreed without hesitation. “My mum has been looking at real estate listings for us for months now. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled if I call her and tell her to send me her top five,” he smiled. Jemma sniffed, finally relaxing at the feeling of Ellie in her arms and Fitz against her side.

“You’ll need to tell her we need at least three bedrooms,” she said.

“At least three, hm?” he teased, watching Jemma roll her eyes. “I wouldn’t worry. I’m pretty sure she’s been looking at houses with no less than four.”


	14. All the Bacon and All the Eggs

Jemma woke up to the feeling of a tiny hand pressing against her cheek, the fingers spit-slick and insistent as she blinked her eyes open. Tristan’s blue-green irises stared back at her, grinning with his few teeth, as he babbled happily at her. Carefully taking in the rest of her surroundings, she noticed the wall of pillows on the other side of the bed, braced with the railing from Aiden’s room to keep Tristan from rolling off. She didn’t dare glance back at the clock, knowing it was much later than she was used to waking simply because of the amount of light in the room. She’d been up half the night being sick to her stomach, a pleasure she had mostly avoided with both Aiden and Tristan but one that she had become well acquainted with when she was pregnant with Ellie.

“Fitz?” she called, gingerly trying to sit up despite the way her head was aching. Tristan blew a spit-bubble, giggling at the way Jemma’s face contorted before the sound of little feet sounded in the hall, Ellie opening the door with Aiden beneath her arm looking in a heartbeat later.

“Mummy!” Aiden yelled, only to be poked in the side by his sister.

“Aiden!” Ellie hissed, slapping her hand over his mouth. “Daddy said Mummy isn’t feeling good. We have to be quiet.”

“Da-da-da,” Tristan mumbled, grabbing his foot and trying to put it in his mouth.

“It’s alright Ellie,” Jemma said, motioning for her older children to come into the room. “Mummy’s head and stomach are just sore today.”  

“Like when we sick?” Aiden queried, squirming away from Ellie and climbing onto the bed.

“Sort of,” Jemma answered, watching Ellie hesitantly edge into the room before coming to stand next to her.

“I heard Daddy say you were sick like this when you were having me when he was talking to Aunt Daisy,” Ellie said, watching Jemma with curious eyes. “What’s wrong?” Jemma felt her heart clench and the worry on her daughter’s face. She had Fitz hadn’t told their children she was pregnant again, too busy trying to get work sorted out and waiting until she was into her second trimester. But her morning sickness was taking its toll, leaving her lethargic and sick most nights while Fitz took on the morning routines with the kids.

“Come here Darling,” Jemma encouraged, moving over slightly until Ellie could join her brothers on the bed, curling into her mother’s side almost immediately. Jemma stroked a hand over her curls, watching how tightly her daughter’s fingers clung to her pyjamas.

“Aiden Thomas! Eleanore Grace!” Fitz rushed, coming through the door, cheeks pink with exertion from his evident race up the stairs when he had found the kitchen table deserted. “I told you to stay downstairs so Mum could sleep!”

“Sorry,” they both muttered in sync, Aiden looking down at the blankets while Ellie just edged closer to Jemma.

“Its alright,” Jemma assured him, giving a slight tilt of her chin to have him come over to the bed. Sliding the railing off the side, he moved the pillows until he could sit down, Tristan on his lap. “They’re worried about me. They just want to make sure I’m alright.” She gave him a pointed look, his breath leaving him in a rush when he recognised her expression.

“Ah, so that’s what we’re doing,” he said, looping an arm around Aiden and pulling the little boy closer until he was sitting between them.  Jemma gave him a tired smile, looking around at their children.

“What’s going on?” Ellie demanded, worry covering her face as she turned her face up to her mother’s, tears building in her eyes. “Mummy, are you really sick? Can the doctor’s not fix it?” For all her intelligence, it was things like Ellie’s query that reminded Jemma that her daughter was still only five years old, even as she edged ever closer to her sixth birthday.

“Oh Darling, I’m not that kind of sick,” Jemma assured her, dropping a kiss on her forehead. “What you heard Daddy talking about – how I was sick with you? That’s all this is. It’s normal, I promise.” Fitz shook his head, bouncing Tristan slightly.

“What Mummy is trying to say is that sometimes people can be sick but its not bad. When Mummy was pregnant with you, Ellie, she did get sick a lot. Sometimes women get sick when they’re carrying a baby. Sometimes its worse, and sometimes its not that bad. Mummy was lucky and didn’t get very sick when she was pregnant with your brothers,” Fitz tried to explain, eyes darting to Jemma’s face every few seconds, seeing if she wanted to take over the conversation. She seemed more intent on stroking Ellie’s hair, however, exhaustion still clear on her features. “Mummy is getting sick because she’s going to have another baby.”

“Ba-ba!” Tristan yelled, making Jemma laugh.

“Yes Tris, Mummy is having a baby,” she smiled, the arm that wasn’t holding Ellie coming to gently tickle Tristan’s foot.

“Are you having baby now?” Aiden questioned, head cocked to the side as he looked at his mother, clearly confused. “But your tummy isn’t big.” He only remembered little bits and pieces of when she had been pregnant with Tristan, being barely over two years old when his younger brother had been born.

“Not yet Darling,” Jemma said. “The baby is going to be here around Halloween.”

“Is it another boy?” Aiden asked, seeming excited.

“No, it’s a girl,” Ellie retorted, rolling her eyes. “Mummy is sick like when she was pregnant with me which means it’s a girl.”

“It could be a boy!”

“No, it’s a girl!”

“It’s too early to tell yet!” Fitz interjected, trying not to laugh at how passionately his children were arguing, the action so similar to the way he and Jemma often bickered that it made his heart sing. Both Ellie and Aiden pouted, glaring at one another.

“The baby has to get bigger before we know whether it’s a boy or a girl,” Jemma explained, swallowing hard. “But now Mummy needs to get up,” she added, hastily picking Ellie up until she could deposit her back down on the bed. “Fitz,” she gulped, eyes wide before fleeing to the bathroom.

“Ellie, take your brothers to your room. Now, please,” Fitz scrambled, leaping off the bed to follow his wife. He closed the door quickly, noticing how Jemma was already kneeling on the floor, cheeks pale as she started to gag. “Shh, you’re alright, I’ve got you,” he murmured, rubbing circles on her back as she threw up.

“Fitz,” Jemma panted when she was done, leaning back against his chest as she blinked up at him. “I… I just want the baby to be healthy no matter what but… is it wrong that I hope Ellie is right?” Fitz bit his lip, kissing her forehead.

“No Love, it’s not wrong at all. I kind of hope she is too. Would be nice to have another little girl.”

\--

When Nikola Margaret was born on a cold October afternoon, Ellie was more than a little smug when her grandparents hung up the phone told her and her brothers that they had a new little sister.


	15. Mama May takes care of her kids pt 2

She doubted that Jemma had meant to fall asleep on the sofa, but May couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the younger woman curled up on the couch in the common area, the television playing some random movie in the background. Ever since she had been let in on the little secret between the scientists, she couldn’t help but feel overly protective of Jemma, knowing how worried she was about the tiny person she was growing. It had been weeks since she had performed the ultrasound for her, and Jemma seemed to be more at ease, having entered into her second trimester. She wasn’t showing much yet, her small frame often covered in slightly baggier clothes, but May could just make out the swell of her stomach if she looked hard enough.

Unable to stop herself, she crossed the room, stroking Jemma’s hair back from her face before pulling the throw blanket down and laying it across her. She stood back, watching her sleep for a few more minutes before retreating back towards the fridge for the drink she had come in to get.

Daisy chose that moment to come skittering into the room, a look of panicked concern on her face.

“Daisy?” May asked, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Jemma.

“Where’s Simmons?” Daisy queried.

“She’s napping on the couch,” May replied, taking in the worry on the younger girl’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“Its Fitz. He… he got hurt on the mission. They’re bringing him in now on the quinjet but they need to take him straight to medical. Jemma should be there,” Daisy explained, moving to wake Jemma.

“I’ll bring her,” May interjected, grabbing Daisy by the wrist. Although things had been going well, Fitz and Jemma hadn’t told anyone else about the pregnancy as far as she knew. They both had been carefully hedging around the topic and often strayed away from anything dangerous, but neither had brought it up with anyone else on the team. Daisy nodded, face grim, before she quickly left the room. Sighing, May moved back to the sofa, crouching down and placing her hand on Jemma’s shoulder. “Jemma,” she murmured. It took her a moment, but Jemma slowly woke up, blinking tired eyes up at the older agent.

“May,” she breathed, sitting up with a slight wince, her back aching. “What’s going on?”

“Jemma, I need you to try and stay calm for me, okay?” May started, her voice steady. Jemma’s eyes instantly widened, concern scrolling across her features.

“What’s wrong? Where’s Fitz?” Panic quickly ebbed into Jemma’s tone as she threw the blanket off, standing up quickly only to stagger slightly to the side, dizziness suffusing through her.

“Hey, hey, deep breaths,” May instructed, wrapping her arm around Jemma’s shoulders as the younger woman did as she was told. “I don’t know much yet, but I know that Fitz is hurt. They’re bringing him into medical now, okay?” Despite her best efforts, Jemma started crying almost instantly, nodding as May kept an arm around her.

“I told him not to go,” Jemma blubbered, trying to cover her mouth to stifle her sobs. “We’ve… we’ve been talking about quitting and he said we would talk more when he got home and oh God.”

“Jemma, let’s see how bad it is first, okay? He might just have a couple scrapes and a bump on the head,” May soothed as she slowly guided the younger woman out of the room and toward medical. Jemma chewed on her lip as they went, trying to tamper down her emotions as one hand strayed to her stomach, pressing there dragging the material of her shirt against her skin. May glanced down, easily able to see the swell of Jemma’s baby bump now that she was curling her fingers around it, trying to steady herself. They made it to the ward after a few minutes, but Jemma seemed to panic the second she saw gurneys and medical equipment laid out.

“I… I need to sit down,” she muttered, knees nearly giving out as May hastily got her into a chair. The young woman closed her eyes, trying to breathe as her hands shook.

“Jemma, talk to me, what’s wrong?” May pressed, crouching in front of her. Jemma didn’t answer. “Are you dizzy?” A nod. “Nauseous?” Another nod. “Do you think you’re going to be sick?” A pause followed by a shrug. Daisy chose that moment to come in, the medical team not far behind her. “Daisy, grab a trash can.” May instructed. Her protégé didn’t pause to question it, ducking into the medical bay and returning with an empty bin which she carried over to the specialist.

“The plane is just touching down Jemma,” Daisy said, eyes roving over her best friend, seeing how pale the other woman was. Daisy didn’t manage to say anything else before Jemma was bent over the garbage can, retching.

“Shh, you’re alright,” May whispered, pulling Jemma’s hair out of her face. “Let it out, its okay.” Glancing up, she looked directly at Daisy. “I need you to meet medical and get me a status report. Now.” Daisy gave a quick nod before bolting down the hallway towards the hangar.

May felt like it took forever for Daisy to get back, bounding alongside the medics with Fitz on a stretcher between them, blood staining his skin. He was pale but breathing on his own, hands and leg red but his chest and head looked unharmed.

“Got shot in the leg, they’re worried it hit the artery,” Daisy hissed, trying not to alarm Jemma who was still leaning over, trying to catch her breath against the nausea that is swimming through her. May gave a decisive nod, watching Daisy go into the exam room with the medics.

“He’s alive Jemma. He’s breathing and he’s alive. He’s unconscious but he’s in good hands, okay?” May said, stroking Jemma’s back. It took a few moments but the biochemist eventually sat up, her hands shaking as they pressed to her stomach again.

“I felt the baby kick for the first time today,” Jemma murmured, breath hitching as she fought against the tears that wouldn’t stop falling. “Fitz had already left and I didn’t want to text him if he was somewhere that he needed to concentrate on the mission. But all I wanted to do was tell him. Its all I want to do. He has to be okay.” May felt her chest constrict at how tiny the words sounded, Jemma looking terrified and defeated all at the same time.

“Fitz is going to be so mad he missed it,” May smiled, taking Jemma’s hand in her own.

“He said we should tell people when I started to feel it,” Jemma chuckled, blinking her tears away. “You… you know how nervous I’ve been. I just… I wanted to make sure things were alright before we told anyone else and… well, I was so sick that I haven’t gained that much weight yet and it was just easy to keep it to ourselves. Its been nice… sharing this with just him. And you.”

“I’m sure he’s excited to tell people though, hm?” May teased, trying to keep Jemma distracted for as long as she could. Jemma nodded.

“He’s wanted to tell Daisy since I got into the second trimester. And Coulson. And Mack and Yoyo as well if I’m honest. He wants our family knowing. We… we haven’t even told our parents yet,” Jemma confessed, eyes welling up again.

“You know who we should find a way to tell? Bobbi and Hunter.” The suggestion caused Jemma to laugh, shaking her head.

“They don’t even know we’re married,” Jemma said, wiping at her eyes. “Bobbi would probably want to do something ridiculous. Hunter… I can only assume his comments will all be of a lewd nature.”

“Still. Would probably be funny,” May smirked, wrapping her arm around Jemma’s shoulders. “I’ll find a way to get in contact with them once Fitz is awake.” Swallowing hard, Jemma looked down at the floor.

“What… what if he doesn’t wake up? I… I don’t know if I can handle that again,” she confessed. Instantly, May was transported back to the last time Jemma had sat at Fitz’s hospital bed, still so young and naïve towards the world. Before she had been undercover. Before she had been to another planet. She had never seen Jemma as terrified as she had been the last few days of Fitz’s coma, the younger woman spending hours crying in his hospital room, not willing to say anything to anyone but instead withdrawing into herself. She had been worse after Fitz woke up, if May was honest. Jemma had wandered around the base like a ghost, trying to appear overly confident of her best friend’s impending recovery. It had nearly broken her to watch him struggle until she had taken herself out of the equation.

“He’s going to wake up Jemma,” May insisted. “If you think that man is going to miss one more second of your pregnancy than he has to, you’re crazy.” The smile she earned was weak, but she would take it. “You know, Coulson and I knew you two would end up together from the first day we brought you onto the Bus.”

“You did not,” Jemma argued.

“Yeah, we did. I took one look at you two kids and said ‘Phil, we can’t have these two running around. They’re just going to make heart eyes at each other and yell about science. They can’t handle the field.’ Guess I was wrong about the field part. But the lovey-dovey crap and you two yelling about science? Think I did alright on that one,” May teased. Jemma huffed, leaning into the other woman as she closed her eyes.

“I just need to know he’s alright.”

“I know.”

They stayed in the hallway for another agonizing hour, Coulson wandering down halfway through, dropping into the seat beside May. Jemma was drifting into unconsciousness by then, her body exhausted.

“How’s she doing?” He questioned softly, eyes flicking to Jemma.

“Tired. Scared. They’ve been through enough Phil. They’re just kids still,” May replied, carding her hand through Jemma’s hair.

“They’re going to quit, aren’t they?” he stated, not really needing her confirmation.

Jemma nearly bolted when the medic and Daisy came out a while later, her hands trembling against where she was gripping May’s arm until the doctor explained that Fitz was going to bit a bit woozy for a while, still being heavily medicated with pain killers, but that the wound to his leg shouldn’t leave any lasting damage. Jemma collapsed into May’s chest, sobbing, as May shushed her gently, unable to stop herself from pressing a kiss to the young woman’s head.

“Go see your boy,” she murmured once Jemma sat up, hastily wiping her eyes before darting into medical, leaving May, Coulson and Daisy in the hall.

\--

It didn’t take her longer than a few seconds to find his bed, dropping into the chair next to it as she scanned his face, looking for any signs of pain. Aside from the bandaging she knew would be bound around his leg, Fitz didn’t look any worse for wear. She wanted to tell him so many things, but she wasn’t sure where to start.

“Fitz,” Jemma whispered, taking his hand and holding it against her chest. He took a moment to open his eyes but once he did he looked at her, a smile playing around his lips. In the end, it was simple to pick what to say first.  “I felt the baby kick today.” She watched his expression turn into one of awe, his hand snatched back out of her grip until he could press it to her belly.

“It kicked?” he questioned, blinking down as if expecting to feel it for himself.

“Yes,” she replied, grinning at him. “You probably won’t be able to feel it for another couple weeks yet because the baby is still small but… I felt it. It felt like little butterfly wings.”

“Like… like a little t-rex flailing its tiny stubby arms?” The mental image would have been enough to send her into a giggle fit, but the accompanying movement Fitz added sent her reeling, laughter echoing around the room as he flicked his hands near his torso, imitating the dinosaur in question. She felt tears pool at the corner of her eyes, both from relief and mirth, unable to stop them from pouring down her cheeks as she dropped her head to his shoulder.

“Please…please don’t scare me like that again. The baby and I can’t lose you,” Jemma murmured, feeling his hand come up to stroke her hair.

“M’sorry,” he yawned, a sloppy kiss being pressed to the crown of her head. “Should tell Coulson I don’t want to work anymore. Want to stay here and be with you.”

“You want us to quit?” she asked, watching him nod in reply.

“Gotta tell everyone about the baby. Then we can move to Perthshire.”

“That simple, hm?” she smiled, lifting her head just enough to see him bob his head again.

“I love you. S’simple as that,” Fitz grinned. “You okay?”

“Yes, May took good care of me.”

“She’s goin’ t’ make a good grandma.”


	16. Movement

He watched, transfixed, as the skin on her stomach distended, a little bump moving across a few inches of her belly before disappearing again. 

“Did you see that?” He asked, utter awe lacing his voice. Jemma let out a soft noise in the affirmative, making him chuckle when he glanced up to see that her eyes were closed, breathing slow and even as she curled around the oversized pillow. Fitz smiled, shifting further down the bed until he could rest his face closer to Jemma’s stomach, carefully inching her shirt up. He blinked, waiting until another bump moved around, making him beam down, pressing a finger to the spot and feeling the resistance of it. 

He felt Jemma’s hand drop to his hair, her fingers sluggish with exhaustion as she carded through his curls. He couldn’t help but lean into the touch slightly, still entranced by the push against his hand. 

“Is it wrong that I’m imaging that she’s giving me a high five?” he asked. 

“Mm, no. But if you could keep your excitement to normal waking hours, that’d be great,” Jemma muttered, making Fitz laugh again. 

“Love, it’s only nine-thirty. On a Friday. For most people, this is a normal waking hour still,” he teased, hearing her irritated whimper in reply. 

“I thought it was later,” she confessed, fighting a yawn, still never bothering to open her eyes. “I’m just so tired.” Her voice hitched on the last word, drawing his eyes up to her face. He could see her struggling to keep her emotions in check, a flush starting to crawl up her neck and into her cheeks. 

“Jemma -”

“I’m just tired. All the time. And I feel like all I want to do is sleep but then she starts kicking or moving around and there’s barely any room for her in there anymore. I can’t -” she broke off into a sob, burying her face in the pillow as Fitz leaned up on his elbow, his hand moving from her belly to cradle her cheek, stroking tears away with his thumb. 

“Hey, hey now, it’s alright,” he whispered, tugging the pillow away from her body and bringing her to curl around him instead, the heavy weight of her belly against his side. 

“I’m just sick of being pregnant,” she confessed, tucking her face into his neck. 

“You’ve only got a week or two to go Love, you’re doing so, so well,” he assured her, feeling the baby kick against his side, another sob tearing out of his wife. He quickly brought his hand down to stroke over her skin, trying to soothe the baby while peppering kisses into Jemma’s hair. 

“I just want her out,” Jemma hiccupped. “She’s pressing into my pelvis and my back hurts all the time and I’m pretty sure what you want to believe is a high five is actually a knee because her foot is always kicking my lungs.” He tried not to laugh, but her petulant tone was too much, a chuckle rattling out of him while he hugged her. “Don’t laugh at me!” her words were followed by a swift swat to his chest as she pouted. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he rushed, hiding his smile in her hair. He sucked in a breath a moment later when he felt her stomach tense against him, a low whine escaping her. “Is- is that a Braxton Hicks?” She didn’t answer, frowning as she went quiet, focused on the sensation. 

“I’ve had a couple this evening. I’m so sick of them. I just want to sleep,” Jemma muttered after a moment, breathing through clenched teeth. She relaxed a few second later, tears drying on her lashes as exhaustion started to overcome her again. She was barely drifting when she made another noise of agitation. 

“You okay?” Fitz questioned. 

“No. I have to go to the bathroom. Again.” 

He managed to control his laughter that time, rolling out of bed until he could help her sit up, gingerly tugging her hands until she was standing. Jemma gasped, her cheeks flushing and eyes widening as she felt her pyjama pants dampen the second she was upright. She burst into tears, unable to look at him. 

“N-now I c-can’t even -” she sobbed, resisting for only a heartbeat as Fitz tugged her into a hug. 

“Jemma,” Fitz said, voice catching in his throat. 

“I’m sorry,” she cried. “There’s just so much pressure and I -”

“Jemma,” he insisted, grabbing her face in his hands. “I think your water just broke.” She sucked in a breath at the words, letting her gaze meet his. 

“W-what?” 

“Your contraction a few minutes ago… Jemma, I could feel it. I’ve never been able to feel your practice ones, not like that. Your entire belly got all tense. And how you’ve been feeling…” he trailed off then, smiling nervously at her. She gaped at him, feeling the aching sensation flooding through her stomach again. 

“Oh… I- I think you’re right,” she stammered. 

“Do you want to go to the hospital?” Fitz questioned, glancing over to where her bag was packed and waiting on the chair by window. 

“Not yet,” she said. “Although I am going to get cleaned up a bit. But I think waiting till my contractions are regular and a bit closer together is the best course of action. I don’t want to be stuck in the hospital all night if I can avoid it.” 

“Of course Love,” he grinned, watching her move carefully towards the bathroom. 

“Fitz?” she called, standing in the doorway and looking back at him. 

“Yeah?” 

“We’re going to meet our daughter soon,” the words were breathless and filled with awe, her eyes dancing as she beamed at him.  

“Yeah, Jem, we are.” 


	17. Fishing

They’re at a wedding when it happens. The old house holding guest bedroom for those that had travelled a fair distance. Jemma was off with Aiden, likely trying to get the toddler to eat his supper while Fitz wandered the sprawling grounds with Ellie, the girl intensely curious about everything around her. 

Really, he should have known her curiosity would get the better of her, his attention being drawn to loud laughter from where the other guests were on the patio. He grinned, shaking his head for a split second before he heard a tiny gasp followed by a splash, water suddenly soaking the hem of his trousers.

He turned around, eyes instantly falling on the edge of the pond where Ellie had been standing a heartbeat before, her head and torso now beneath the water as her legs kicked frantically in the air. 

“Fuck!” Fitz blurted, diving forward to hastily yank his daughter back out of the pond, heart hammering in his chest. The minute she was back on her feet, spluttering, he dropped to his knees in front of her, hands skimming over her face and shoulders, pushing her hair back out of her eyes. “Ellie, are you okay?” he rushed, only really starting to calm when he didn’t find any blood on her and was able to see that she was breathing normally, if a little fast. 

Ellie nodded, eyes still wide as she shivered slightly, the pond water having completely soaked the top half of her dress. 

“Daddy, what happened?” she queried, seeming completely lost. Fitz couldn’t help but start laughing at the query, his nerves frayed from panic. 

“You fell in the pond, Love. That’s why I was worried about you leaning over,” he responded between chuckles, cupping her cheek in his hand. Ellie shivered again, pouting up at her father. 

“I just wanted to see the fish,” she muttered. Fitz shook his head, pulling his blazer off and wrapping it around his daughter before scooping her into his arms. 

“I know,” he whispered, kissing her head, cringing internally at the realisation that he had pond water in his mouth. “Let’s get you changed into something dry, hm?” 

“Mummy is going to be mad,” Ellie sniffed, burying her face in his neck as he carried her back towards the house, keeping his eye out for Jemma as he slipped in the back door. 

“Mummy is just going to be glad you’re okay,” Fitz insisted, ducking through a hallway and up the stairs to the guest room where he had tossed their things earlier. He plunked Ellie in the bathroom before grabbing the change of clothes for her, hustling her into the bath so he could wash the pond water out of her hair. The little girl frowned when her father didn’t let her use the shampoo herself. 

“I can do it myself Daddy,” she insisted, trying to bat his hands away with little success. The sob that suddenly caught in his throat came out of nowhere, his hands shaking as they tried to lather her dark curls. He gave up, pulling Ellie close and hugging her fiercely, ignoring the way he could feel the soap and water soaking into his shirt. “Daddy?” 

“I was so worried,” he murmured, clenching his eyes tightly shut as he held his daughter.”I was so scared you were hurt, Ellie Grace.” Her tiny hands bound around his neck at the confession, trembling slightly. 

“Please don’t tell Mummy,” Ellie begged. Fitz pulled back, stroking her soapy hair back so that he could see her face. 

“Why not?” 

“I don’t want the baby to get hurt if Mummy gets worried like you are,” she confessed, eyes dropping to the bath water. Fitz clenched his eyes shut, kissing the crown of her head again. 

“Okay,” he agreed. “Let’s get you cleaned up and dressed and back to the party, hm?” 

\--

“Fitz?” Jemma asked, sitting down next to him and nudging him with her shoulder. She had noticed he was slightly off most of the evening, eyes hyper-focused on the children as they played with the other kids, running around the fairy-light encrusted patio and tent. “Is everything okay?” She took in his defeated posture and the way he was curled over himself, elbows resting on his knees and head in his hands. When he didn’t reply she stroked her hand over his back, letting her fingers slide up until they were scratching at the short hair at the base of his skull. 

“Yeah, everything is okay,” he muttered, a shuddering sigh escaping him as he raised his eyes to his wife’s face. “Ellie fell in the pond earlier,” he confessed after a beat. Jemma sucked in a breath, eyes widening. 

“She’s alright?” Jemma queried, eyes flicking to closed door, the urge to check on her daughter simmering in her blood. She didn’t want to wake either of her children, knowing it had taken ages for Fitz to get them settled and asleep, but she couldn’t help the desperation to see that Ellie was safe with her own eyes. 

“Yeah. Was a little shaken up but she’s okay,” he responded, voice still lacking affect. The tone quickly made her realise how not-okay he was. She wriggled a little bit closer to him, placing her hand on his knee. 

“Fitz, talk to me,” she breathed. 

“God Jem, I can’t remember the last time I was terrified like that. Not since we left Shield. I swear I just looked away for a second. And then there was this huge splash and Ellie was face-first in the water,” Fitz choked out in a rush, tripping over his words and stuttering in a way he hadn’t in ages. “I swear my heart stopped,” he whispered. “But Ellie… she was fine. Her biggest worry was that you were going to be angry about her dress getting dirty. That it would get you all upset and make the baby come early.” Jemma leaned her head on his shoulder, pressing a kiss to his throat. 

“Is that why you didn’t tell me earlier?” 

He nodded, breathing in the smell of her shampoo as he wrapped his arm around her back. 

“Ellie is worried. She’s been scared since you took that spell a few weeks ago when your blood pressure went awry. And I have been too. I didn’t want to add anything else to your plate when Ellie is fine.” Jemma took the hand that he wasn’t using to stroke her arm and placed it on her stomach, letting him feel the baby kicking away. 

“In a few weeks Ellie and Aiden are going to have a little brother. And even if he comes early, he’ll be alright. He’s nearly full term, Fitz. And I’m fine. The doctor said my blood pressure is normal again and everything on the scans say the baby is doing exactly what he should be,” she murmured, cuddling a little closer. “You’re sure Ellie is alright?” 

“Yeah. Was cross that I got all emotional and wouldn’t let her wash her own hair,” he chuckled in response making Jemma grin. 

“Do you think she’ll be bending over fish ponds again anytime soon?” Jemma teased, causing her husband to chuckle. 

“Nah, I think she’ll stick to the nature documentaries you bought her for a few weeks.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I work at a funeral home that has a pond in the front lobby. Said pond has been there for over thirty years (I asked my dad as he used to work there before retiring). In the 30+ years, no one has taken a swim other than the Koi. Until the other day, when I watched a toddler go face-first into the water. She was fine. And once I ascertained that, I laughed so hard I had to go hide in the morgue for five minutes until I could calm myself down enough to be able to return to my duties directing people into the chapel.   
> Children, my friends, are the funniest things. (Aside from animals).


End file.
